Random Ideas
by GetWithIt
Summary: As the title indicates, random ideas for stories I had but never fleshed out. Feel free to take an idea and run with it (and please let me know so I can read it!) - all these are plot bunnies I don't plan on writing in the near future. Warning! Stories are brief snippets, all unedited and in some cases cut off unexpectedly.
1. Chapter 1

My name is Alexander Potter and I have a problem – multiple problems, actually.

You see, I wasn't always Alex Potter. I wasn't always a pureblooded wizard with loose black curls and a bespectacled twin. In fact, I wasn't even a boy.

Sounds crazy right? It gets worse.

The world I live in and the people I consider family in this lifetime were all fictional in my first life. My twin, James, was the deceased father of the protagonist. His son, a boy named Harry James Potter, was the orphaned boy who saved the wizarding world.

And me, I was just a regular girl. Like thousands of others I'd read the books and seen the movies. I enjoyed the concept of magic and triumphing over evil. And then, at seventeen, I died.

I don't actually remember how it happened, though I suspect an accident of some sort. I only know that I died through some strange instinct. Well, that and the fact that I was reborn sort of implies I had to die somewhere along the way.

Fortunately for my fragile psyche, I don't remember much of my early years. I can only assume that my mind wasn't developed enough to handle an adult's memories and thought processes. This of course, led to a merging of personalities and opinions as soon as I had developed enough for my memories to make sense.

Infancy and the years following are formative years – don't ever let anyone tell you otherwise. By the time I'd realized I'd been reincarnated into a fictional world, I'd already developed deep bonds with my family and come to accept magic as something inherent in my new life. This most likely made my transition into this world a lot smoother than it could have been – though I still suffered chronic headaches and a minor identity crisis all before the age of six.

Either due to my own mental fortitude or some higher power I made it through the merging of minds mostly unscathed. Of course, this didn't solve the issue of whether or not I should act on what I remembered from my previous life.

On one hand, I didn't even know if my knowledge was accurate. My presence alone was enough to throw everything I thought I knew about my new world into doubt. On the other hand, what kind of person stands by and does nothing while others suffer?

Fortunately for me, I didn't have to make a decision right away. I was born before the threat revealed itself, so I had time to plan. I couldn't do anything before then. After all, at that point I was still a child and not likely to be taken seriously.

* * *

The great thing about being unusually self-aware at the age of nine is that I didn't take my childhood for granted. I played for hours on end and took full advantage of the lack of responsibilities. It might have been a little boring if I still had the mentality of a seventeen year old, but I had regressed, or rather, I was a child given excessive life experience for my age, but still an actual child deep down.

A kid can be more mature than an adult, especially if the kid's had a more difficult life, but that doesn't make them older, just wiser. Understanding my mortality so early on made me strive to be a better person. I wanted to be remembered fondly when I died and trying to be a good person in my first life had only made things better. I wanted to impact my new world more than I had my old one, but not at the loss of my life.

So I did silly, pointless kid things with James while also avoiding the bigger mistakes of my first childhood. I already knew that trying to change myself to make friends or please others was pointless and would only make me miserable in the long run; I already knew not to judge others right away because some of my best friends had started out as people I thought were weird or uncool; I already knew that sometimes no matter how good your intentions were you could end up hurting the ones you loved; I already knew that if someone genuinely showed regret it was best to forgive them - no one wants to die without ever having made up with a close friend.

Basically, my second childhood was a lot happier and much less embarrassing than the first.


	2. Chapter 2

It was a beautiful day outside. From the second floor of the sprawling academy a girl gazed upon the gardens with a faint smile. A gentle breeze was evident in the swaying leaves and flowers down below. The girl by the window focused on the largest tree in the garden as she sketched a quick copy of the twisting branches and knotted trunk onto her parchment.

"Princess Azula! Are you even listening to me?!" Azula sighed in exasperation and turned towards the elderly teacher at the sudden shout.

"No," she said flatly, "I'm not."

"But – I – you –" he spluttered for a moment but Azula cut him off before he could make even more of a fool of himself.

"If you had listened to what I told you at the beginning of this lesson you would have known that I already know how to add and subtract fractions." She paused for a moment to let this sink in. "I already know how to multiply and divide them as well."

The other girls in the room either giggled or tittered at her cheek. Azula remained unconcerned. Her status and title prevented any disciplinary action on his part. She tried to remind herself that it wasn't this man's fault she was stuck learning topics she already knew - it was whoever was in charge of the damned reincarnation system.

Really, it's one thing to die and be reborn; it's another thing entirely to die, be reborn, remember your past life, and recognize your new identity as a cartoon character from your past life…

She could deal with the first three things – it was the last that really got to her. Okay, so maybe she was more aggrieved to find herself reborn as a less than sane antagonist rather than with the fact that she was in a cartoon, but in any case the situation was ridiculous.

"If you are so knowledgeable in this topic then perhaps you'd like to come up to the front and lead this lesson _Princess_?" Ah, there it was. Pan Ludai would never outright insult or belittle a member of the royal family, but he would certainly try to set her up for humiliation at the hands of her peers.

"Are you certain Master Ludai? I would be willing so long as you approve." Azula made sure to smile disarmingly and tilt her head to the side in the perfect imitation of innocence.

The elderly man grinned smugly, no doubt assuming she had been lying about her knowledge and was counting on him to retract the offer. "By all means Princess, come, show the class what you can do."

Azula shrugged belligerently and stalked to the front. Her usually impassive expression was replaced with a wicked smirk and Ludai paled. She cleared her throat, "When dealing with fractions it's often easiest to imagine a circle divided into equal parts…"

In front of the incredulous stares of her classmates Azula continued the lesson. Some of them began to scramble to take notes as she drew examples on the chalkboard and used real world problems to get her points across. It was probably the most informative lesson to date.

Master Ludai knew his math, but he knew next to nothing about children. Dry lectures that lasted the entire fifty minutes of class were less than effective on girls ten years old and younger.

By the time the lesson ended Ludai was furious. His jaw had clenched and his fists were shaking at his sides. As he was the one to suggest that she lead the lesson, he couldn't do anything to stop her when she didn't make a mistake. No doubt he was just waiting for a slip up for the past three-quarters of an hour so that he could step in and discredit her. By not doing so Azula ensured that is was he who was disgraced by the whole affair – not that the other girls were even aware of the subtle byplay. Unfortunately for Ludai, the fact that the two of them were aware was enough to aggravate him.

"Thank you for your cooperation Princess Azula," he bit out before addressing the room as a whole, "Class is dismissed."

Azula followed the older girls out of the classroom but turned in the opposite direction once out in the hallway. Classes at the academy were arranged by skill level, so while Azula was with mostly older girls in math she was with her age-group when in came to reading and writing.


	3. Chapter 3

"Get back here you rat!" I turned toward the commotion with the rest of the crowd. The shouting and cursing was coming from a portly man wearing an apron. From what I could tell, he had run out from behind his food stand to chase a little boy.

The little boy in question was dressed in rags that could only very loosely be considered clothing. He darted between legs while clutching the food he'd stolen in his shirt. None of the onlookers moved to intercept him – if they made to stop every thief or pickpocket they'd never get anything done.

Though I watched with an impassive look on my face, I was inwardly cheering for the boy. No matter how long I'd been here, I could never get used to the way things were. I knew that hunger and poverty existed in my old life, but I'd only known about it objectively. To see it firsthand was an entirely different story.

Unfortunately, the portly man was a lot faster than he appeared because he quickly overtook the child and soon had a vice-grip on the waif's upper arm.

Sighing in resignation I made my way over. It took me a minute since I had to push through the hoards of people out doing their midday shopping, but I eventually got through. By the time I reached the two, the man was shaking the child back and forth and the food was spilled over the ground.

"Pardon me," I interrupted the man's tirade, "Could you release the child?"

The man scowled at me. "This brat just stole from me," he spat. "I won't be letting go until he either pays me or compensates me in some way."

I fought the urge to roll my eyes. "How much?"

Both the man and the boy snapped their heads towards me in confusion._ "What?"_

"How much do I owe you? For the food he stole?" I was speaking slowly and clearly, like the man was an imbecile.

He bristled visibly at my not so subtle insult. The kid actually snickered but was forced to shut up when the man shook him roughly. The man then opened his mouth to no doubt say something asinine when I cut in to save some time.

"Look, you said you'd let him go when you got your money. I'll pay you for whatever he stole so you can get back to your _unmanned_ food stall before the rest of your goods are stolen."

At this the man paled a bit and jerked his eyes towards his abandoned business. Clearly, he hadn't thought of that when he went tearing after the boy. _Definitely an imbecile, _I thought in exasperation.

"Twenty-two," he muttered quickly.

I smiled brightly and pulled the money from the pouch at my hip. As soon as I'd forked it over the man rushed back over to his food stall, grumbling obscenities under his breath.

Apart from a few curious glances the crowds continued to ignore us while the boy scrambled to pick up the food from the ground. The kid gathered up all he could salvage before remembering my presence. "Uh…" he coughed to clear his throat. "Thanks, I guess." He peeked up at me through his dirty bangs.

Though he hid it remarkably for someone so young, I could tell the poor boy was afraid. I wasn't sure if he thought I'd take his food or if I'd punish him in some way, but whatever the case – he looked ready to bolt at a moment's notice.

"Hey kid," I said as I knelt down to his level. Ignoring his flinch when I touched his shoulder I pushed on, "Since I helped you out with that man, would you mind doing me a favor?"

"A-A favor?" _Aw! He's so cute! _I had to fight the urge to scoop the little guy up, but I refrained. No doubt it would only terrify him all the more.

"Yeah," I agreed. "A favor. It's a pretty easy one too."

He frowned as if deep in thought and I patiently waited for him to make a decision. Finally, he answered, "Um, maybe I could. What do I have to do?"

I gave the boy a cheery smile. "Well, I'm new here and I don't know where to get a good meal. I was going to go to that food stall, but the man who owns it is very clearly a jerk." The kid snorted and I smiled wider. "After that I'd ask you to show me to the nearest inn, but only if you have time."

The child flipped his dingy hair off of his forehead and stared at me in wonder with his oddly colored eyes. "That's so easy! I can do that!" He looked so ridiculously proud that I had to turn my head to hide my smile. "Follow me lady!"

Still holding the food he'd salvaged from the ground in his baggy shirt with one hand, the child used his free hand to pull me along by my loose tunic. He babbled a bit about how he'd take me to the best place ever and how he always heard people saying it was great and I laughed lightly at his enthusiasm.

By the time he finally stopped we were in front of a quaint little restaurant quite a ways away from where I'd first started. "This place serves lots of traditional food and stuff," the kid looked down awkwardly, "I'll just wait out here 'till you finish so that I can take you to the inn."

I frowned. "Actually, would you mind eating with me? I've been traveling for a while and I'm pretty lonely."

The kid looked at me incredulously. "Really?!" I nodded in encouragement but he frowned again. "But I don't have any money or anything…"

I waved him off. "No problem, it's my treat since you're helping me out."

"Okay!" Geez, this kid was really trusting. Though I guess my appearance didn't really scream 'stranger danger' or anything. Still, I could've been a kidnapper or something. _Whatever_, I thought, _it's not like I've got any bad intentions_.

Shaking myself a bit to focus I turned to enter the restaurant but paused when I saw he wasn't following. "Uh, I don't have anywhere to put my food," he pointed out.

"Oh! Sorry!" I pulled my pack off and dug around for my spare cloth. "Here, you can wrap it up in this." I would've just offered to buy him some more but I didn't know how he'd react. For all I knew, he could be touchy about wasting food, seeing as he had to steal it in the first place.

He did as I asked and soon we were both sitting down at one of the tables as a waitress brought us tea and water. We got a few weird stares for the kid's dirty and disheveled state, not to mention his lack of shoes, but he didn't seem to notice so I ignored them as well.

The restaurant was a bit cramped, but much larger than any of the other businesses situated in such a busy area. While it had been chilly outside, the restaurant was pleasantly warm and filled with the smells of different dishes. That, along with the quite bustle of the workers and the low hum of conversation, made for a pleasant atmosphere.

"Woah," the kid breathed in a loud whisper (little kids never seem to understand that whispering is meant to be quiet), "I've never been in here before. It smells so good!"

"It does, doesn't it?" He nodded vigorously and I laughed at his enthusiasm. "Why don't you tell me about yourself while we wait to order our food?"

That was all the encouragement he needed and soon the kid was babbling on about how great he was at pick pocketing. I smiled indulgently and ordered our meals, not bothering to ask the kid what he wanted; I doubted he could read anyway.

"Hey lady?" The little boy stared up at me with his big peculiar eyes.

"Yes?"

"Why do you talk so funny?" He was frowning and had drawn his pale eyebrows together in confusion.

I laughed. "It's because I'm from somewhere really far away. I came to this land about four years ago, but I only knew my homeland's language back then."

The little guy stared at me oddly. I wasn't surprised; the people here didn't know there was such a thing as another language - everyone spoke in the same tongue.

"You mean like animals? Because they can communicate with each other but regular people don't understand them." I smiled at his answer.

"Exactly like that! The people in my land all spoke like me, but the people in this land all speak like you. It took me a very long time to learn


	4. Chapter 4

_**A/N:** This is about a set of twins who were siblings in the real world before dying and finding themselves reborn in the world of _A Song of Ice and Fire_ as Robert Baratheon's legitimate children_. _Her name is Myrcella because that's the name Robert and Cersei would give their firstborn daughter, not because she takes canon!Myrcella's place. She and her twin have violet eyes (from targaryen blood on Robert's side) and seek to stop the bloodbath that is the fight for the iron throne before it can truly begin. Boy twin is tentatively paired with Daenerys and girl twin with Jon Snow (with Jon Snow as the son of Lyanna and Rhaegar). Joffrey does not exist in this AU._

* * *

"_I have dreamed of giving up the crown. Take ship for the Free Cities with my horse and my hammer, spend my time warring and whoring, that's what I was made for. The sellsword king, how the singers would love me. You know what stops me? The thought of Joffrey on the throne, with Cersei standing behind him whispering in his ear. My son. How could I have made a son like that, Ned?"_

~ Robert Baratheon to Eddard Stark, _A Game of Thrones_

Myrcella stepped carefully from her bath, ignoring the girl whose job it was to aid her. She had vowed to herself long ago that she would maintain as much of her independence as she could. Even if that meant doing pointless little things like exiting a tub on her own. Her handmaiden merely quirked her lips and waited for Myrcella to towel off, accustomed to her mistress' queer habits.

Once sufficiently dry, Myrcella dressed quickly, throwing her hair over her right shoulder and sitting down so that her longtime companion could lace up the back of her dress.

"How would you like your hair today milady?" Aslyn asked once she'd finished.

Myrcella hesitated a moment before speaking, "I'd like it up, preferably with braids involved – I want to look older." Aslyn didn't reply. Instead, the twelve year old girl wordlessly began the lengthy process of brushing out Myrcella's dark hair.

The entire process of brushing out and arranging her hair took up the better part of an hour. Myrcella's back was aching terribly from sitting so stiffly, not that she would ever admit it. She took the small hand-mirror Aspen handed her and assessed her hair with a critical eye.

"You did a wonderful job Aslyn, thank you," Myrcella gave the girl a genuine smile for her effort. "You're free for the rest of the morning."

"Thank you _milady_," Aslyn neatly curtsied and bowed her head in the perfect depiction of subservience. That is, if you disregarded the wicked smirk she wore.

"Hurry up and leave already you horrid girl!" Myrcella stressed her words by tossing her hairbrush at Aslyn's retreating back. Tinkling laughter was the handmaiden's only response as she disappeared through the doorway.

The dark haired princess shook her head with a fond smile. Myrcella and Aslyn were closer to best friends than mistress and servant. The only times Aslyn ever observed propriety were when the two were in public or whenever Aslyn sought to rile her up.

Myrcella stood from her stool and stretched languidly. Today was the day her plans would either come to fruition or go up in smoke. She just hoped it was the former rather than the latter.

Still lost in her thoughts, Myrcella meandered out of the room and into her bedchambers. There, she donned the amethyst pendant that had been given to her by her brother on their thirteenth nameday* two months prior. She approached the floor length mirror against the wall and turned this way and that, looking for any flaws in her appearance.

The only noticeable detraction to her appearance was her lips, which were pale and chapped. To rectify this, Myrcella dabbed her lips with moisture and stained them dark pink.

Satisfied at last, Myrcella put on her navy blue slippers and set off in search of her twin. All those she passed in the hallways were greeted cordially, if a bit brusquely, and she received numerous compliments on her attire in response.

It wasn't long until she reached the entrance to her brother's rooms. Olin, her brother's manservant, stood outside waiting for her.


	5. Chapter 5

Uchiha Mikoto stared down at the baby girl in her arms with the sort of fearful fascination that all new mothers were plagued with. Her daughter was sleeping, exhausted from the stress of being born. Of course, crying and flailing her fists for twenty-minutes straight afterwards probably didn't help.

"My little girl," cooed Mikoto. "Less than an hour old and already so fierce."

"Excuse me Uchiha-san," one of the nurses ventured. "Do you have a name for your daughter? Or will you wait for her father?"

Mikoto stared contemplatively at the bundle in her arms. Should she name her little girl, her first child? Fugaku would no doubt be displeased, but her husband of a little less than one year was not there to complain.

Mikoto liked to think she was a responsible person. She had done her duty to the village and served as a capable kunoichi for twelve long years. She had done her duty to her clan and married her longtime friend despite a lack of romantic feelings on her part. She had done her duty to her husband and provided an heir to the clan after only ten months of marriage.

She deserved this one small act of defiance.

"Her name is Tora. Uchiha Tora."

* * *

Uchiha Fugaku froze and stared at his wife incredulously. "Again?" He pointedly disregarded the fact that, even at 25 years of age, his voice still cracked when he was stressed.

Mikoto raised an eyebrow. She had related the news as if she were merely commenting on the weather. Admittedly, the nonchalant delivery had thrown Fugaku more than the news itself.

"Right, stupid question." Fugaku stared down at his seven month old daughter in his wife's arms. Tora was curled against her mother with her thumb in her mouth. As if she could sense his scrutiny the little girl peered up at him through dark lashes. Swallowing thickly he tore his eyes from his firstborn. "How long?"

"I'm due mid-June," Mikoto said with a pleasant smile. Fugaku only nodded absently, still in a mild state of shock. "Well, I'm off to feed Tora. Have a nice day dear." With that said she flounced back into the house.

The moment she was gone Fugaku turned stiffly and started toward the police headquarters. He was halfway there when he stopped in the middle of the road, thinking. He just _knew_ Mikoto had done that on purpose. The deliberately casual way she'd dropped the news, telling him first thing in the morning, holding their daughter in his arms – it was all staged to unnerve him.

"Dammit!" It seemed even retiring and settling down failed to repress Mikoto's need to fuck with the minds of those around her. Fugaku sighed heavily. "I'm never going to live this down…"

* * *

"Tora dear, come meet your new baby brother," Mikoto's voice echoed through the house, startling Tora from her game.

The fifteen-month-old set her stuffed animals down and pushed herself up to her feet. She toddled into the hallway just in time to see the auntie from next door, the one who'd been watching her until that point, wave goodbye from the street before the door shut. Her dad was awkwardly holding a pale blue bundle while her mom slipped her shoes off. He was quick to pass the bundle back to Mikoto as soon as her hands were free.

"Fugaku," the man in question very nearly snapped to attention. Tora didn't bother to stifle her giggle. "Be a dear and carry Tora into the living room so we can introduce her to our new family member."

"Of course." He knelt down and hooked his hands under his daughter's armpits. He was much less unsure of himself with her than he had been with the tiny infant.

The father and daughter pair followed Mikoto as she settled down on their cream colored sofa with the new baby cradled in her arms. Fugaku followed suit, setting Tora down in his lap.

Almost immediately Tora scrambled towards her mother. She stood shakily (the coach wasn't as even a surface as the wooden floors she was used to) and peered down at her little brother's face. His eyes were shut and his mouth was open, Tora could hear his shallow little breaths going in and out. He had a few strands of wispy black hair and incredibly pale skin.

Slowly, so as not to panic her parents, Tora reached out with one of her hands and brushed her fingers along his brow. His skin was smooth and warm. Giggling softly, she gently poked one of the infant's chubby cheeks.

"His name is Itachi." The low voice broke the silence. Tora only then noticed that her mom had been watching closely while her dad's hands hovered as if to pull her back. Clearly they were afraid she'd be too rough with the baby. Well, she was going to put those fears to rest as soon as possible.

"Kaa-chan?" Tora turned large, imploring eyes on her mother and placed one tiny hand over the baby's blanket covered belly. "Mine?"

Mikoto's eyes softened and her lips curved into a gentle smile. "Yes Tora, he's your brother."

* * *

Mikoto sipped her tea and stared down fondly at her two kids. She felt incredibly lucky to have such cute and well-behaved children. They were nothing at all like her cousin Michiko's demon spawn.

She watched with a wide smile as Tora handed her favorite stuffed animal to Itachi. Itachi, the little sweetheart, took it gently and tried to hand Tora the block he'd been playing with.

Mikoto had to fight back a chuckle as Tora took it and placed it next to them so she could lean over and pat his head. "Mine," the little girl cooed.

Not for the first time since she'd brought Itachi home, Mikoto wondered if Tora realized Itachi was her brother and not her pet.

* * *

Tora stared intensely into a pair of charcoal grey eyes identical to her own. Slowly, making sure the other followed the gesture, she placed her hand on her chest. "Tora," she said clearly. She waited for her younger brother to blink before placing her hand on his chest. "Itachi."

Tora then took Itachi's little hand and placed it on her chest. She smiled encouragingly and waited. Itachi looked at his hand for a moment before shifting his eyes to Tora's face. "To-wa."

Tora beamed and clapped her hands together. Itachi copied her movement and gave her a gummy smile in return.

Tora leaned over to gently pat his head. "Good job Itachi."

She studied his chubby face for a moment as he played with the stuffed bear she handed him. _'I can't believe this cutie is supposed to be the same guy that murders his entire clan.' _Itachi snuggled the bear and placed a sloppy kiss on its head. _'Yup. The manga version I know is totally null and void. My presence confirms that.'_

She nodded to herself and pushed the issue from her mind – there would be time to think upon her not-so-trusty foreknowledge later. In the meantime, Tora would settle for living in the present.


	6. Chapter 6

**Breakfast with the Grangers**

It was an early Friday morning in late July and bright sunshine was pouring through the windows of a modestly sized bedroom. Inside the bedroom and across from the windows was a small desk with bookshelves on either side. The walls behind the shelves were a pale blue and the bed on the opposite wall was the same off-white as the nightstand, desk, and shelves.

The bed had a light grey comforter with a floral pattern in white and lavender. Everything was very still and very quiet. In fact, he only vaguely remarkable thing in the room was the small, huddled form beneath the comforter.

"Hermione dear, breakfast's ready!" At the cheery yell the lump on the mattress shifted. With a slightly muffled groan the blankets were thrown back and a little girl around ten or eleven sat up.

She blinked wearily, froze, rubbed her eyes, and looked around the room in confusion. She wasn't in her bedroom. In fact, she had no idea where she was. Confused, she climbed out of bed and looked around. She was about to start digging around to figure out where she was when her bladder made itself known. Grimacing slightly, she wandered into an equally unfamiliar hallway.

She barely noticed the dark wood floors or the beige walls and instead rushed to use the toilet that was in the room across from the bedroom she'd been sleeping in. Once she'd relieved herself she moved to wash her hands. Just as she was reaching for the soap she looked up into the mirror and promptly froze.

She was staring into a reflection of herself, but couldn't contain the shock and horror at seeing how young she looked. Stepping closer to the mirror she studied her features with a disturbed fascination.

Her eyes were large and dark brown, just as they always were, but the rest of her face didn't match the image of herself she'd gone to bed with. Her face was smooth and had an innocence she thought she'd lost years ago. She still had her lightly tanned skin and full mouth, but they looked so unfamiliar on the face of her younger self. Desperate to find things that hadn't changed she took in her toffee colored hair with its numerous blonde highlights, her slightly pouty bottom lip, and her shockingly white teeth.

_Okay, _she thought to herself. _At least I'm still me even if I'm younger._ She frowned slightly when she noticed she was back to an age where her front teeth looked larger than average. _Focus, _she reminded herself - she had bigger things to worry about than her teeth. Besides, as she grew it was less noticeable and she could always have them filed down a bit like she did before.

"Hermione, are you getting up or not?" called the same female voice that had woken her originally. The girl jumped slightly and frowned in confusion. Was the woman calling for her? Her name was Maia, not Hermione. While she could almost admit that her name was nearly a nickname for the other, she hadn't known anyone to actually have that name – at least, not aside from a fictional character.

Nonetheless, she stepped out of the bathroom and followed the smell of food down the stairs and into a spacious kitchen. A petit brunette with thick brown hair to her shoulders was setting food out on a round wooden table by the window.

"There you are Hermione! Hurry up and eat your breakfast while I go wake your father," the woman pulled off her apron and left the room after patting the girl on the cheek. Maia stood there frozen for a moment longer before she shook herself and sat down at the table.

Looking around the kitchen Maia took in the white cabinets, the wooden counters, and the sage green walls. All in all it was well done and astonishingly neat. The large window above the sink allowed the sun to illuminate the room and rendered artificial light unnecessary.

She had only been sitting there, in a daze, for roughly five minutes when the woman reentered the kitchen with a man in tow. "Hermione, what is the matter with you? Hurry up and eat – you're the one who wanted to get an early start purchasing your school supplies!"

Not knowing what else to do Maia scooped some eggs onto the plate in front of her and slathered a piece of toast in blackberry jam. She couldn't decide if she was awake or not. The only explanation she could come up with was that she was dreaming herself into the role of a young Hermione Granger – she had had similar dreams before where she took on the role of a key character in a story she'd read or a movie she'd seen. The only difference this time was that it didn't _feel_ like a dream.

Usually the edges of dreams are indistinct, but Maia had no trouble taking in every detail and focusing on her surroundings. Even stranger, she could really feel and taste everything around her.

She looked over at the two adults across from her. The man was neither tall nor short and had close cropped brown hair and heavy eyebrows. The woman was petite, probably only five foot four or so, with thick brown hair in tight curls that just brushed her shoulders. Both were wearing nice, but casual, clothes and were reading separate copies of the same morning newspaper.

"Excuse me?" Maia wanted to know what was going on, but was unsure of how to find out. She was afraid of what would happen if she told them she was not Hermione or asked them who they were.

"Yes dear?" Maia squirmed a moment trying to think of a question that wouldn't get her chased out as an imposter. She had a pretty good feeling that she'd been right about just who these people thought she was, but was still hesitant to call the experience a dream. _After all_, she mused, _if it were a dream, wouldn't I have already woken up by now?_

"Where are we going again?" There, that was a reasonable question that might shed some light on what was happening.

"Diagon Alley of course!" the woman exclaimed. "Are you feeling alright? Yesterday it was all you could talk about!" Okay, so maybe not the best question to avoid suspicion, but it definitely gave her some new information.

"Right," Maia shook her head slightly. "Don't mind me - I'm just a bit out of sorts this morning."

"It's quite alright dear," the woman, Mrs. Granger, folded her paper and turned her eyes on Maia. "Why don't you head back upstairs and get dressed so we can…" she trailed off. Maia shrank back a bit when she saw the shock in the woman's eyes.

She knew it! She knew they would realize she wasn't Hermione! Never mind the fact that Hermione was a fictional character and _no one_ was actually Hermione.

"What _have _you done to your hair? Did you dye it? It was _brown_ yesterday!" Maia gaped. Of all the things the woman could have noticed, she points out the fact that Maia has lighter hair than Hermione? _Strange dream…_

"Calm down love!" Mr. Granger chastised lightly. "If Hermione wants to make a bit of a change to signify the start of her life as a witch who are we to stop her?" Maia nodded emphatically – anything to explain the situation.

"I suppose," Mrs. Granger acquiesced. "Just don't go about making any more changes without consulting us first. We're still your parents and we _will_ have a say in how you present yourself."

"Of course! I understand," Maia said quickly.

"Wonderful!" Mr. Granger exclaimed. "Hermione dear, head upstairs and get dressed will you? We've got a busy day ahead of us."

Maia nodded and took her plate to the sink and rinsed it off before scurrying up the steps and back to the room she'd slept in. Once inside the room she closed the door, locked it, and sank to the floor in an ungraceful heap. _What's going on?_

Looking around the room Maia noticed a door she assumed to be a closet and decided to get changed like she'd been asked, it wasn't as if she knew what else she could do. She drifted over in a daze and opened the door to find a fairly large closet with a modest wardrobe pushed to the left and clothes hanging to the right.

Most of the clothes on the hangers were skirts, dresses, and formal clothes so Maia ignored them. She had the feeling that Hermione wasn't the sort to wear frilly, girly things on a day trip into London. Instead she started pulling the drawers open and tried to tone down her disbelief that she could fit into such small clothes. _I may be sixteen,_ Maia mused,_ but it appears that Hermione is only eleven in this dream._


	7. Chapter 7

_**A/N: **I have no excuse for this one, it was written years ago and I forgot about it:P_

Harry walked on. The dementors had no affect on him with his loved ones surrounding him. He walked and walked. Harry did not know exactly where Voldemort was, but he knew without a doubt that he would find him. He knew that, at last, he would die at his hands.

He came upon Yaxley and Dolohov though they did not see him. He followed the two to a clearing he only vaguely recognized as belonging to Aragog's children. Harry was only half aware of what followed. He was in a strange daze even as he let the stone fall from his fingers.

There was chaos when he stepped out, only for it to be silenced a moment later. He barely noticed Hagrid's presence. Harry felt as though he were an observer, floating above all that happened to him.

He watched with an eerie calm as Voldemort raised his wand. He saw the lips move to form the familiar words. He only stood still as the green light hurtled towards him.

And then it connected. And Harry was gone.

The dark lord and his followers had no time to celebrate. For as soon as the killing curse hit the boy-who-lived, the world as they knew it ceased to exist.

* * *

When Harry awoke, the first thing he noticed was the blinding white surrounding him. The second thing he noticed was the fact that he was naked. Blinking in the bright light until his eyes adjusted, Harry could finally take in his surroundings.

He was in a spacious room. There was a large fireplace to his left and comfortable sofas in the center of the room. As he stared in slight confusion the white faded and resolved into soft colors. The large windows on the other side of the room became visible, showing Harry a forest not unlike the one he'd just been in. It was dark and the trees were old, though there were no signs of dangerous creatures – or any living creatures for that matter.

Footsteps distracted Harry from his perusal and he remembered his state of undress. Before he could truly panic or worry he was clothed in a comfortable robe. Harry didn't think he'd ever owned clothing that was as soft or as well fitting as the one he found himself in.

"Ah, I see you've found your way here at last," said a voice from behind Harry. Harry jumped and spun around to come face to face with a stranger.

"Who are you? Where am I?" asked Harry. He wanted to know, but he was neither afraid nor anxious like he expected to be.

"Oh I'll answer that in time," said the man. He was tall and thin with pale skin and black hair. His features were perfectly balanced and he held an ethereal beauty. He gestured for Harry to take a seat and sat across from him when he did so. "Now, before I start I want you to promise you will listen and save any questions for the end."

Harry stared at the unfamiliar man for a moment before he nodded his agreement.

"Perfect. As for who I am, I am Death, the one and only," Harry opened his mouth to interrupt but stopped at the glare sent his way.

"You, Harry, are in my humble abode at the very center of my realm. Why you ask? Because you are my new master." Harry once again opened his mouth but found that no sound came out. "Harry, you did agree to let me speak," said the man with a hint of exasperation.

"Trust me, I'll explain. You see, as the true owner of the invisibility cloak you already had one of my hallows. Your dear Headmaster left you the stone which gave you the second. And you obtained the allegiance of the wand by defeating Draco Malfoy, who had disarmed the previous master, Dumbledore.

"As the master of all three you have become my master as well. Of course I wasn't surprised. It has always been your destiny to do so." Death spoke casually, as if he weren't the very thing all life faced and could never hope to understand.

"Now I can set about fixing the very fabric of time itself! It's been dreadfully out of whack since the eighteenth century. Any questions so far?"

Harry was staring wide-eyed at the man. "If I'm the master of, well, _you_ – what am I supposed to do?"

"It's not so much what _you_ have to do, but what you have to allow _me_ to do for you," Death said with a smirk.

* * *

Harry sat anxiously as Headmaster Armando Dippet plucked the sorting hat from a shelf and strode over to his seat in front of the desk. Harry barely had time to blink before the hat dropped over his eyes, obscuring his view.

'Well I must say I haven't seen someone so interesting in a very long time Mr. Peverell.' Harry very nearly groaned at that. 'Yes, to be the master of death alone is very interesting, but to transcend time itself to fix a centuries old mistake is even more so.'

'Are you going to sort me or not?' Harry demanded testily. He was going through a lot and his patience had been worn thin.

'Well, if you're so anxious I suppose I will. Better be… SLYTHERIN!' The hat announced to Dippet's spacious office.

"Well done my boy, well done," Dippet prattled. "Just in time too! The carriages are arriving now, you'll get to sit down with the rest of your house for the feast. I'll lead you down to the Great Hall."

And with that Harry was left to follow the elderly and somewhat portly man out of his office and through the castle. Harry paid no attention to whatever Dippet was explaining and wondered for what had to be the millionth time how all this had happened.

First Death had explained how the Peverell family was descended from his union with a mortal woman. As if that hadn't been weird enough he'd explained that the Deathly Hallows were a sort of legacy as well as an apology. After all, the original brothers were his sons, but in having them with a mortal woman they themselves were mortal. Supposedly, this limited Death in some ways but he hadn't minded since it made his children more powerful.

Death then went on to explain that an accident happened along the line and the male line descending from Ignotus, the eldest of Death's sons, had ended. Apparently one of the male heirs had died when he wasn't supposed to. His younger sister had grown up to marry the Potters and pass the cloak through them, but the main thing was that _it was never supposed to happen._

Death couldn't fix the mistake without a master so he took the soul of the descendant destined to be his first master, which happened to be Harry, and had him born to the Potter line. Harry was actually supposed to be born in the line that was destroyed, but Death managed to switch some things around so that he would still exist.

Harry, who at that point was shocked could only listen quietly as Death continued. He was told how the Potter line was supposed to end with daughters and how he had taken the unborn souls of the male Peverell line and implanted them in the Potters to give them a chance at life. Then Death mentioned that if Harry gave him the go-ahead he could correct all that from the start.

Utterly lost and confused Harry asked what would happen to him. 'You'll be placed where you were meant to be of course! Born July 31st, 1926 to James Peverell and Lily Peverell née Prewett. Those'll be your real parents' souls too. Your parents had a soul bond so I had to take your mother's soul and hold onto it until I brought James potter into existence. Now they'll have the lives they were supposed to have.' Death said with a smile. Harry had only nodded dumbly.

And that was how he, formerly Harry James Potter, was now Hadrian James Peverell and living in the year 1941. He had all his memories from the "false life" he'd had to have to become master of death as well as all his "real" memories from this time period.

It was almost too strange to believe. He remembered being raised by his parents and growing up with his little brother Charlus. He remembered being privately tutored and visiting his distant cousins who were descended from the last male Potters. Simultaneously, since his fifteenth birthday, he could remember being Harry Potter and living in the 90s.

Right away he had asked his parents if he could go to Hogwarts, begging and pleading until they gave in. They had wanted to know why, thinking he was unhappy with his tutors. He wasn't. He knew for a fact that he learned more with his tutors than he ever did at Hogwarts based off of his memories, but he wanted to see the castle he had called home in an alternate life. Of course, he couldn't tell them that, but he did mention he wanted to have more friends his age and try out being away from home.

They had only agreed after he promised to study with his tutors in the summer. So that was how he found himself here, at Hogwarts, soon to be a member of Slytherin. That too had shocked him, but the house rivalry he remembered seemed so silly and petty. His parents certainly would care that he was in Slytherin. His mum wasn't prejudiced and his dad hadn't even gone to Hogwarts.

Harry, now Hadrian, was startled from his thoughts when Dippet led him straight to the Great Hall. Hundreds of students were moving as one to the large double doors.

"Well, off you go Mr. Peverell. Slytherin is the table over there. Enjoy the feast!" And with that the Headmaster was gone. Hadrian took a steadying breath and resolved to stop worrying so much.

He'd had all summer to get used to having two sets of memories, though the Harry Potter memories were fading fast. Death had said that the basics were always going to be there, but it was impossible to remember in detail something that hadn't happened.

Hadrian really didn't understand it. All he really knew for sure was that he really was Hadrian, but at some point in an alternate time he had to be Harry Potter in order to fix Death's mistake.

Resolved to just live his life, Hadrian made his way to the Slytherin table and sat down. He didn't even mind being among the snakes. There, everything was settled. Nothing else to worry about, he decided. That was when Dippet stood up.

"Welcome back to another year at Hogwarts!" He said in a jovial tone. "Before we begin the Sorting I have a small announcement to make. Hadrian Peverell, formerly home schooled, will be joining us for his fifth year of schooling. Please stand up Mr. Peverell!" Dippet called and Hadrian stood tall, trying not to blush under all the stares. "He has already been sorted into Slytherin house and will be using this as a trial year to determine whether he will continue studying here with us. I hope you will all make him feel welcome!"

Clapping ensued and Hadrian sat down hastily, biting back a groan of embarrassment. Thankfully the Sorting started a moment later and he was left alone until the start of the feast. "You were home schooled? What made you decide to come to Hogwarts now?"

Hadrian turned to the boy asking the questions. He was tall and thin with platinum blonde hair to his shoulders and light blue eyes. "I just wanted to see what it was like and meet people my own age," Hadrian said easily. "It gets kind of boring when you're stuck at home all day with only your little brother for company." That was actually true; those were the main reasons why he was there, he just also happened to vaguely remember fond times from another life.

"That sounds dreadfully boring," the blonde agreed. "I'm Abraxas Malfoy, a seventh year. It's a pleasure to meet someone from the Peverell line. They usually keep their heirs hidden away; no one's seen a Peverell at Hogwarts in generations!"

Hadrian smiled. "I know. It took me ages to persuade my parents. In the end my mother had to convince my father by reminding him that she'd graduated from here."

"Your mother was a Prewett was she not?" Another boy chimed in. He was of an average height and had handsome, boyish features.

"She was," Hadrian agreed. "Might I inquire as to your name?" Some part of Hadrian vaguely remembered his "other" self had been socially awkward and thanked his lucky stars he was not.

"Augustus Nott. You may call me Augustus of course. I'm a fourth-year."

"Then please, call me Hadrian," he said politely to the younger boy.

"Don't listen to him Peverell," a pale boy with dirty blonde hair said. "No one calls him Augustus, it's either Gus or Nott." Nott scowled at this and glared at the other boy.

"Not everyone wants to go by stupid nicknames their peers give them _Quintin_!" Nott hissed venomously before turning to smile at Hadrian. "That's Quintin Rosier. You shouldn't pay him any mind – we've all learned to ignore his demented ramblings."

Abraxas Malfoy cut in with a cleared throat. "As much as I'm sure our new guest enjoys your… _stimulating_ conversation he probably doesn't want to spend his night with squabbling children." His voice was cool and hard. The two boys flushed and scowled, but obediently turned away.

"I apologize for their behavior," he continued to Hadrian in a falsely sincere tone. "But even in Slytherin we must deal with childish impulses in the younger students from time to time."

Hadrian was a little put off by the older Slytherin. His own younger brother was childish and loud where Hadrian was quiet and reserved, but he still loved him dearly. "It's quite alright. I find their youth and immaturity refreshing after years in the company of adults."

Malfoy pursed his lips but did not say more on the subject. Instead, he turned to the others at the table. "Everyone, introduce yourselves to our newest housemate."

"Hullo, I'm Eileen Prince," a dark-haired girl with dark eyes and eerily pale skin said. Hadrian reached out to take her hand and plant a chaste kiss. "I'm also a fifth year so I look forward to seeing you in class."

"I look forward to it as well," Hadrian said politely.

He repeated the general introduction to all those on his end of the table. By the time all was said and done he had noticed there were significantly fewer females in Slytherin house compared to the other houses.

When he asked Malfoy why that was the older boy sighed dramatically, "This generation just doesn't seem to have many ambitious or cunning women. It's a shame really. While Hufflepuffs are loyal and Ravenclaws generally clever; Slytherin brides are the most sought after. They're the ones who help you build your reputation and can be trusted to handle family affairs in your absence."

"What about the girls in Gryffindor?" Hadrian asked with a raised brow.

"They're more trouble than their worth in my opinion," Malfoy declared. "All the ones I know are positively obnoxious." Hadrian only had time to nod absently before Dippet stood to announce the end of the feast and send them to their common rooms.

Unfortunately for Hadrian, the layout of the castle was not something he remembered. He ended up following Malfoy down to the dungeons and to a bare expanse of wall. After stating the password, 'sapientia et eloquentia' (wisdom and eloquence), the crowd of Slytherins entered a spacious room.

The room was well lit though the light held a greenish tint. Hadrian thought it might have looked creepy were it not for the cheerful Slytherins meandering about. The furniture was done in dark woods and there were multiple black leather sofas spread throughout the room. The three fireplaces left it cozy, despite the fact that they were in the dungeons.

"Elegant, isn't it?" Malfoy asked from Hadrian's left.

"Of course," Hadrian agreed. "Though it's nothing like I expected when I heard we were housed in the dungeons."

"Yes, I suppose even I would think dank and dreary if I was told I'd be living in a dungeon. Thankfully that's not the case," said Malfoy. "Dolohov! Come lead your new year mate to the dorms."

A large boy with tan skin and dark hair appeared moments later. He nodded to Malfoy before giving Hadrian a hand to shake. "I'm Antonin Dolohov. You can call me Antonin since we're in the same year. I'll introduce you to the rest once we get to the dorms."

Hadrian nodded and followed Dolohov down the steps on the far left side of the common room. "We're right across from the fourth-years," Dolohov explained as he led them through a door with the number five carved into it; right across from a door with the number four.

Hadrian did his best not to gape but couldn't help his tiny gasp at the state of the dormitory. He vaguely remembered the Gryffindor one and knew for a fact it was no where near the size.

"Antonin," he asked. "Just how many fifth year Slytherins are there?"

The larger teen frowned, drawing his rather heavy eyebrows together. "Twenty-three, maybe twenty-four. We've actually got one of the smallest years currently in Hogwarts." Hadrian just nodded and Dolohov moved to speak with another boy nearby.

He hadn't known how much the war in the future had decimated the British Wizarding world, but he could now assume it had greatly reduced the population.

"Peverell?" asked someone from behind Hadrian.

Hadrian turned to see a boy with light brown hair cropped close to his head. "Yes, that's me."

The boy gave him a smile and stuck out his hand. Hadrian took it as he took in the boy's appearance. He was short, only an inch or so taller than Hadrian's own rather pathetic height, and had dark brown eyes. He was neither tan not pale but had a crooked smile Hadrian immediately found endearing.

"I'm Myles Avery. You'll be sleeping in the bed next to me so I thought I'd show you to your things." Hadrian smiled gently at the uncertain tone.

"Thanks Avery. You can call me Hadrian if you like," he said pleasantly. He was glad for the first time his parents had always surrounded him with adults. All the manners and decorum that were a part of Slytherin house were as familiar to him as breathing.

"This way then Hadrian," said the boy as he led Hadrian farther into the room. "And please, in the future call me Myles. The beds here are wonderful and the house elves very discreet – you almost never see them. I'm sure you'll grow to love it here, most of us do," the boy admitted with a friendly smile.

"I probably will," said Hadrian. "Especially if everyone is always this courteous and welcoming."

"Of course we are!" the boy assured him. "We do have our fools and the typical teenage behavior, but we know when to don our proper persona." Hadrian smiled sadly at that. Sure, he was polite and followed traditional customs, but that didn't mean he was insincere. He had the feeling he wouldn't like the masks and falsehoods that came with being a Slytherin.

"Will everyone act like this all the time," Hadrian wondered aloud, thinking back on all the polite and mature conversation he'd witnessed at the feast and in the common room.

"Not at all," Avery confessed with a snicker. "It's really only the first day or two that we act like proper little heirs. After that we act our ages. Of course, we're still polite even to those we don't like. It's a Slytherin rule, we stick together."

"I like that," said Hadrian. "My family has always valued loyalty."

Avery nodded, "Yes, the Hufflepuffs like to believe they are the only ones who value loyalty, but we Slytherins are loyal to our families, values, and our house – we just also tend to be ambitious, cunning, and a little less determined to play by the rules."

The two teens laughed and shared a few more words as they changed and climbed into their adjacent four posters. Before Hadrian knew it he was asleep; he dreamed of riding dragons and swimming with merpeople.


	8. Chapter 8

**Beyond the Veil**

It was dark. A rosy light illuminated my form while everything else remained in shadow. The floor was cold beneath my bare feet, shocking me out of my daze. I suddenly realized I was lost in this strange place with no idea as to how I'd gotten there – the resulting panic made me feel as though something dark and heavy had blanketed my mind.

"Hello?" I called shakily.

I waited a moment to see if anyone would answer but only the silence resounded. I was just about to call again when I heard a sound like fabric rustling followed by a low moan.

I froze and held my breath, only releasing it when nothing happened in the seconds that followed. Unsure but curious, I set off towards the source of the noise. I made my way carefully through the dark, still unable to see a thing. The light emanating from my body didn't even illuminate the surface I was walking on – all I could tell was that it was smooth like marble.

I was so preoccupied with finding the source of the first noise that I didn't notice when the whispers started up.

After minutes of wandering aimlessly I finally saw a blue light ahead of me and slowed down. '_Keep going. You're almost there._' I started horribly when I heard the command.

I paused and listened, only then noticing the steady hum of indistinct voices. It sounded as though there were people all around me, holding hushed conversations. The whispers were very clearly audible, but none were as clear as the female voice that had spooked me.

Not knowing what else to do I ignored the indistinct voices and made my way closer to the blue light. I so was surprised to see it was an archway that I almost didn't notice the form lying in front of it.

It was a man. He had his own rosy glow around him, but it was fading fast. Its dimmed light wasn't enough for me to make out his features. I jerked backwards when he moaned pitifully.

'_You must act quickly. He doesn't have much time._' I looked around for the source of the voice but only the man was visible. '_See how his light fades? You must restore him or he will die…_'

"What are you talking about? Where am I? Who are you?" The voice remained silent. I looked down at the man again, taking in his darkening form. The voice said he would die. "How do I restore him?"

This was apparently the right question to ask because the voice answered. '_Touch him._' Feeling as if I were in a dream I nodded to no one and reached out to tentatively brush the man's shoulder. In a rush the light surrounding him brightened considerably.

Looking down at myself I saw that I was as bright as before and the man's light was nearly equal to my own. He took a shuddering breath and sighed heavily. '_There isn't much time,_' the voice echoed in the darkness, '_Take him and enter the portal so you both may live._'

"Where does it lead?" I couldn't believe I was going along with this. I waited for an answer and was met with silence. "Oh what the hell," I muttered. "It's not like I have any other options."

Deciding to listen to the eerie voice in the hopes that this strange dream would end soon I took the man's wrists and pulled him upright. His face looked gaunt and unnatural in the blue light coming from the portal. I started to drag him closer to the portal with great effort.

Hesitantly, when we were inches from the blue light of the arch, I reached out. I was slightly hunched over. One hand was wrapped around the man's wrists while the other was a hair's breadth from the solid wall of blue. When I finally touched the light all the breath in my chest was ripped from me and my head spun.

Before I knew what was happening I was in a strange room filled with bright lights and shouting. Blinking stupidly, I realized the man I had been dragging was laid out at my feet as I crouched over him.

Ignoring the chaos around us I reached for his wrist. I found his pulse easily enough and watched with a detached sort of relief as his chest rose and fell.

"Sirius," I turned to see the owner of the voice. "Sirius is that really you?" The man jogged over and fell to his knees beside the unconscious man's form. His face was pale and drawn and his sandy hair was graying at the temples. He had eyes only for the man, Sirius. He was seemingly unaware that I was kneeling on the other side of the body.

He reached out with shaking hands and clasped Sirius' shoulders. He gave a gentle shake as I looked on. When Sirius made no attempts to move or wake the man grew desperate, he shook Sirius more violently.

I reached out and grabbed the man by his wrists and pulled his hands away. "He is alive," I said firmly. "But I did not save him so that you could rattle his brains and worsen his condition."

"Alive?" the man whispered. "But I saw him fall through the veil…" I followed the man's eyes and turned to see the archway I had just come through. I could just barely hear the indistinct whispers coming from behind the frayed black curtain.

"He fell through the archway?" I asked. "Yes, I suppose he must have. I found him on the other side, but don't worry," I assured the man. "I helped him draw his light back to his body before he could fade." I was hardly aware of what I was saying – I didn't know what to make of where I was or what had occurred, I did know, or sense at least, that fading in that place was bad, _very_ bad.

"You saved him? Wait, 'on the other side'? You came from the veil?" The man was staring at me with wide eyes.

"It's complicated," I said. "I appeared there shortly before your friend. I was," I paused as I searched for the right word, "Lost, I suppose. The voice told me to save him and bring him with me through the archway so that we both may live. I did, and here I am."

The man gave a soft "oh" and took on a dazed expression. I ignored him in favor of looking around the room. We were, I noticed, on a stone dais with the archway. The dais was at the very center of the rectangular room and on all sides the room rose above us like we were the center stage and the stone steps were seats in a theatre.

There were people in cloaks tying up and confiscating sticks from their counterparts with masks. The shouting and flashing lights had finally stopped and I saw a few people staring down at us on the dais.

A tall bald black man was clambering down the stone benches towards us. I tried not to stare at the navy blue robe draped over his broad shoulders. Why was everyone dressed so oddly? "Remus, Remus! Are you alright?"

The man on his knees shook himself and turned his head to answer. "Wha–Oh, Kingsley! Sirius is alive! Look!"

Kingsley looked down at the unconscious body and then back to Remus. "If that's the case you need to get him back to Grimmauld Place before somebody recognizes him." He then turned to me, "Who is this?"

"She's," he paused. "Well, I'm afraid I don't know her name," Remus admitted. "She came from the veil, you see, she brought Sirius back." The black man's eyebrows rose in what could only be disbelief.

"Right," Kingsley said. "Well hurry up and get Sirius out of here while you can. I'll question the girl." I got a bad feeling when he said that.

Before I knew what was happening words came tumbling from my mouth. Oddly enough, I could tell it was the woman from the veil speaking through me, I could feel her presence reaching out from behind the curtain and using my mouth.

"You cannot take him from me, he has yet to settle." At their blank looks my mouth continued to move. "He will start to fade again without me close by to stabilize him. He will be fine in a day or so, but until then, he needs me to draw his light into his body and keep it there."

Both men were staring at me as if I'd grown a second head. I didn't know what else to say now that the invisible woman had retreated back into the veil. "We don't have time for this," Kingsley insisted as more people came pouring in through the door above us. He pulled a shimmering fabric out from beneath his strange clothes. Moving quickly he covered Sirius' prone form and leaned down to whisper to Remus. "Levitate him out under the cloak. Take the girl with you and get back to Grimmauld. Keep them both there and I'll send Dumbledore with a healer as soon as he's able."

Remus nodded and flicked a thin stick at the spot on the ground where Sirius had been a moment before. He stood shakily and reached for my hand. "You'll come with me won't you?" I nodded and put my hand in his.

He led me up the steep stone steps and we waited for a lull in people entering the room before he dragged me through the door. He kept his stick casually concealed behind his back and pulled me along.

Men and women were running about like chickens with their heads cut off. Every now and then we passed someone tied up being led away by men and women in matching uniforms. We also passed a never ending stream of people running about in lime green robes. I noticed a matching emblem on each – a stick crossed with a bone – that was displayed proudly on their chests. Half of them were levitating visible people behind them and hurrying past us.

Remus seemed anxious for his concealed friend but we did not speed up, instead, he kept up his casual pace, nodding to those who recognized him. Eventually we reached a long hall with a rich blue ceiling. There were golden symbols swirling amidst the blue, but what was most astounding was the sheer number of fireplaces set against the wood paneling along either side of the hall.

"Follow me please," Remus said in a casual whisper as he led me to an open fireplace. The rest were all flashing with green flames as the people in lime green came in and out with people either following or floating behind them.

He let go of my wrist to reach for a pot next to the fireplace and he threw the powder into the flames. The flames changed to a brilliant emerald green to match the other fireplaces being used. Remus then directed his stick and flicked it towards the fireplace. I caught a glimpse of a floating foot as it disappeared into the flames when Remus announced something I failed to discern, "- -, -."

He then stashed the stick in his pocket, took my wrist firmly in hand, and pulled me into the flames before I could protest. He repeated the address from before and we spun in the green flames.

When we finally stopped spinning we were thrown feet first out of another fireplace and the force of our exit pushed us into upright positions. I stumbled against Remus and he very gently supported me as my balance returned. Sirius' half covered form was stretched out on the floor beside us. It was disturbing to only see his lower half.

Remus leaned forward and pulled the shimmering fabric all the way off and tossed it to the side. Sirius looked pained and his mouth had cracked open as he inhaled with a wheeze. Following some strange instinct I knelt down and placed my hand flat against his chest. Squinting, I watched through my lashes as his glow brightened and the grimace on his face disappeared. It felt like I was reaching through him and drawing warmth back into his body, anchoring it to him.

When I felt satisfied that he was alright I stood back up only to find Remus staring at me in confusion. "What did you just do?"

"I don't really know. I just," I wrinkled my nose as I thought. "I think I stabilized him," I said as I thought back to what the woman had me say when we were on the dais.

Looking as though surfacing from a dream Remus shook himself and stared into my eyes with more focus and awareness than I'd seen from him so far. "Who are you?"

"…" My eyes widened as I realized that I couldn't think of anything to say.

"You won't give your name?" I opened my mouth to try again but when nothing came out I just shut my mouth and shrugged. _Such a strange sensation_, I thought to myself.

Remus stepped closer and reached for my left arm. He turned it over and studied the bare skin before dropping it and smiling. "Well, you're not a Death Eater and you've saved Sirius. All I can really say is thank you."

I smiled back. "I didn't do much. For right now, I think we should worry about getting him off the floor," I nodded towards the man in question.

"Right," Remus agreed somewhat sheepishly. He pulled out his stick, which I belatedly realized was actually a wand, and levitated Sirius. He made his way up the stairs with Sirius in front and I followed. We first came to a long hallway but continued up two more flights of stairs.

I followed Remus into a somewhat dusty room done in reds and golds. Sirius was gently lowered onto the large bed and I moved to sit beside him. Remus then set about waving his wand in intricate patterns. A few moments later he sighed in obvious relief and waved his wand again, making a comfortable armchair appear beside the bed.

I laughed as he threw himself down and shut his eyes. "Tired?" I asked.

"You've no idea," he groaned. I looked him over critically. He was wearing dark brown slacks with a matching jacket, a white button-up, and a matching dark brown robe over it all. He gave off a general aura of scruffiness that I found somewhat endearing.

"What happened? How did Sirius end up in there with me anyway?"

Remus sighed heavily. "His cousin Bellatrix Lestrange cursed him and he was knocked back into the veil. Today, she and the rest of You-Know-Who's Death Eaters were involved in an altercation at the Ministry. Harry Potter, who happens to be Sirius' godson, and his friends were tricked into going to the Ministry by You-Know-Who. Thankfully, we managed to capture and arrest most of the Death Eaters involved. That's about the only good thing that came from this whole situation."

I sent the man an awkward smile. "I've no clue what you're talking about," I admitted. "In fact, I can't remember anything from before my time in the archway so I rather doubt much of what you say will have any meaning for me."

He sat up abruptly. "You don't remember your life?" I shook my head. "Was that why you didn't tell me your name?" I nodded and took in his horrified expression.

"It's not so bad," I said quickly. "I still know things. I mean, I know that I have to stay near this Sirius fellow to help him. I know that I can see a person's light if I squint. And I know how to walk, talk, eat, and do all those sorts of things."

"I see," Remus said. "Do you remember anything about magic? About witches and wizards?"

"Only that they exist," I said after a moment of thought. It probably explained why I knew his stick was a wand and didn't freak out very much when we traveled through the fireplace, _by floo,_ a voice in my mind corrected.

"I hope that doesn't happen to Sirius…" Remus muttered more to himself than me. "Wait. Earlier, what did you mean by light?" I shrugged. "Never mind, I'm not sure I'll even remember this conversation in the morning. In fact, even now I can't believe you came from the veil! Do you know how long you were there?"

I shrugged. "A long time, a short time, I'm not really sure. I don't think time is the same there as it is out here." Remus looked a bit perturbed at that explanation but let it go.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I don't feel as if I'm all here. Everything's been so chaotic and I'm exhausted. Truthfully, I don't think reality's sunk in yet. We can talk later when I'm more likely to react normally. For now, would you like me to lead you to a guestroom?"

I shook my head. "No, I should stay with Sirius. I don't mind if you sleep in the meantime."

Remus rubbed his face tiredly. "Moody's going to kill me for this, but I think I will. I'll be in the bedroom one floor down and directly across the stairs." With that he got up and shuffled from the room.

As soon as the door shut behind him I shifted my attention to the man lying on the bed. Sirius was still unconscious, but his breathing was slow and even. I ran my hands through his shoulder length hair and sighed in annoyance when my fingers tangled in the black locks.

He wasn't wearing a robe and I found myself bemused when I took in his clothes. They looked like something out of the 18th century rather than the 20th. I then looked down at my own clothes and grimaced, I had no right to say anything.

I was wearing a charcoal grey gown that fell to my ankles and cinched in at my waist. The silver and black embroidery along the bottom edge and down the loosely-fitted sleeves looked like twisting vines and the neckline fell just above my breasts.

I looked down at Sirius and decided he'd be fine on his own for a bit. I eased off the bed slowly so as not to jostle him and moved to the partially open door next to a stuffed… horse? Bird?

My mind supplied the word _hippogriff_ and I wondered why he had such a strange object in his bedroom. It was curled up as if it were sleeping and I froze when I realized it was not stuffed, but alive.

"Oh my," I whispered. The beast seemed to awaken at the sound of my voice so close to its resting place.


	9. Chapter 9

_**A/N: **This is a superman/justice league plot bunny and was written when I was in middle school. I realize it's a bit silly, but I figured 'why not add it?' It's not like some of my other ideas aren't just as ridiculous!_

* * *

"_We have every right to dream heroic dreams. Those who say that we're in a time when there are no heroes, they just don't know where to look."_

_~Ronald Reagan(January 20, 1981)_

CHAPTER 1

_Tick. Tick. Tick. _No matter how hard she stared, the hands on the clock refused to turn faster. The slow but steady ticking just served as an incessant reminder that she could not manipulate time, though not for lack of trying.

Sighing Lara turned away from the clock and back towards the teacher at the front of the room. She was hoping for something to distract her from the fact that she had eight long minutes left until summer break. Unfortunately for her, the lecture was the same one she had heard in her previous five classes.

"…There are so many opportunities for success out there, but there are also opportunities for failure. When all of you leave this building I want you to remember that your social lives are _not _worth ruining your futures."

Lara tuned out once more. She had heard enough of the "Don't do drugs, don't party, and focus on your futures" Speech to last a lifetime. Lara typically didn't mind school, but the last few days were always brutal. There was just nothing left to do or learn; teachers instead tried to impart important life lessons.

Tipping her chair back until it met the wall she breathed in, then out. The real reason she hadn't skipped had more to do with the fact that she wanted to say goodbye to her friends than any desire to actually attend her classes. She was leaving early the next morning and wouldn't see them again after for the rest of the summer.

"I suppose keeping you any longer would be unfair; try not to run over each other on the way out," the last phrase broke through the fog Lara had been lost in until now.

Dropping her chair to the floor Lara stood slowly, concentrating on moving with normal speed. As the last of the students filtered out she follwed two steps behind, smiling to the now relieved looking woman on her way out.

She supposed teachers enjoyed summer vacation as well, especially the older ones who'd spent years dealing with moody teens.

Before she could take more than a few steps into the hallway something purple rammed into her. Remembering at the last minute to lean back she cushioned the blow as best she could.

"Ouch! Geez Lara! Do you have to be the slowest one out even on the last day?" Evie snatched Lara's arm and began to pull her down the hall. "Mason is already outside waiting for us!"

Lara allowed her friend to pull her through the crowd with no complaint. If her best friend were anything other than pushy, she wouldn't be the Evie she loved.

Looking Evie up and down Lara smiled, leave it to her best friend to wear designer clothing to school. Evie had four-inch nude heels, matching the belt she wore around her lavender dress. Her bracelet was gold to match the gold buckle on the belt and Evie's perfectly manicured toes.

"Ummm… Evie? Do you really think it's safe to run down a crowded hallway in heels?" Lara shouted over the voices around them.

Without breaking stride Evie turned her head and gave Lara an indulgent smile, "Unlike _some _people I care about fashion. Not all of us look amazing with no effort you know."

Lara just shook her head, she knew for a fact that her best friend was gorgeous no matter what she wore. She had perfect waves of light brown hair with natural blonde highlights throughout. She had a wide smile and pretty hazel eyes; there was no way anyone could overlook Evie in a crowd.

Before Lara could begin to argue the appeal of sneakers they were outside and barreling down the steps.

"Over here! Lara, Evie, this way," the voice called out to their left.

A tall thin boy with sandy blonde hair and a toothy smile waved them over. His gray eyes were crinkled up and his hair was a wild mess.

"Mason! Sorry we're late but you know how slow and confused Lara is," Evie cast Lara a disdainful glance and lowered her voice to a whisper, "I'm starting to think she's suffering from dementia…"

Mason laughed and shook his head, "No way, not the girl who aces every test. I can hardly remember a time when she's even studied."

"Okay guys I get it, I'm a pokey nerd. Can we get going already? I want to have as much fun as possible before I have to say goodbye," Lara ruffled Evie's pefect hair and pulled her phone out. "We have seven hours and counting till I have to be home."

Evie's hand were already adjusting her hair as she shot Lara an annoyed look, "It's not fair of you to leave the very first day of summer. What am I supposed to do without you?"

"I'm sure Mason will be thrilled to go shopping and get maicures with you, wouldn't you Mason?"

Mason looked abslutely green, "Actually I think I'll spend some time with my guy friends for once. Evie can take her cousin Jen for girl stuff."

"Aw, but you know how clingy she is! I'd much rather you come than her," Evie batted her eyelashes at Mason.

"Sorry but I'll have to pass – So where are we headed Lara? It's your pick," Mason picked up Evie's discarded bag but knew better than to grab Lara's.

"All right, I was thinking we should head out with Julie, Lance, and the rest of the gang. They're holding an end of the year party at Lance's place."

Lance Witten's was by far the wealthiest boy in their private school; whenever he hosted a party practically half the school showed up.

He lived in a huge apartment at the top of one of the most impressive buildings in the city. This year, his parents felt fifteen was old enough to host a party without supervision. Even the older students had sucked up to Lance in the hopes of being invited.

Despite being insanely wealthy Lance was an okay guy and Lara enjoyed hanging out with him. She was especially excited for the party – it would last practically all night and would have all kinds of people and entertainment.

Her parents, Mason's, and Evie's didn't know they would be there and probably wouldn't approve, but it was worth it. _Besides, it's not like we plan on telling them, so long as we get home on time it'll be fine,_ Lara though to herself.

"Great! I was hoping you'd say that," Mason's grin got wider than ever, "So what are we going to do 'till the party starts?"

Evie's face lit up, "We're going shopping for party outfits! Then, we're heading to that new place downtown, _Super_ Smoothies 'n Fries."

Lara had been walking next to Evie and nearly tripped, luckily neither Evie nor Mason seemed to notice she had stopped in her tracks. Hurrying to catch up, she groaned internally, she had planned on avoiding to newest teen hangout.

There were certain things Lara wasn't exactly honest about, number one on her list of secrets was her father's real identity. Places like the snack place downtown usually left her feeling guilty and frustrated.

Fighting to appear normal Lara tuned back in to the conversation, "Lara, do you really think we need to change clothes for a _party_? What's the point?" Mason seemed put out, sometimes he just didn't understand.

With an exsasperated sigh Lara spoke in a slow, patronizing tone, "You see, we're friends with this girl named Evie. Evie here is shallow and would never be caught dead at a party with people dressed like us."

This earned her punches from both Evie and Mason.

"What's wrong with the way I'm dressed?"

"Oh Mason, there are so many things I need to teach you," Evie shook her head in mock dissapointment.

Lara just laughed and kept walking.

Nearly two hours later Evie had deemed them both acceptable and they left the fourth store they'd entered.

Mason wore a royal blue shirt that showed off his newly aquired wiry frame, his kaki shorts fit perfectly and his shoes were some new and expensive brand Lara had never heard of.

Evie's outfit lacked the subtlty of Masons but fit her style perfectly. She had her hair up, a green dress to her knees with intricate embroidery. The cropped jacket she had on top went well with her brown boots.

Looking down at her own outfit Lara smiled, she had finally found something that both she and Evie agreed on. To be honest, Lara thought it was a bit much for a party of mostly freshman but it would do no good to argue with Evie.

Lara had her long hair mostly down with bits and pieces pinned up near the front. Her skirt was shorter than she was used to, but it was navy blue and looked cute with her white top.

Her shoes were light blue and navy flats. The bracelet Evie picked out was the exact same shade of blue as the blue in her shoes. Lara looked good. Even the thought of eating at the new joint couldn't bring her down.

At least not until she saw it for the first time. Deciding to ignore it she plastered on a fake grin and followed her best friends in.

"Hey guys, look how many people from school are here! It's completely packed," Mason shot the girls a grin and ran off to fist bump and nod at his guy friends.

"Geez! It's been two seconds and he's already left us for his _guy _friends," Evie scowled and then brightened at something over Lara's shoulder.

"Oh look! It's Julie, let's get in line with her. Even Jessie and Kate are with her," Lara ran over, this time dragging Evie instead of the other way around. Anything to distract her from the décor.

"Lara! Evie! You girls look great! Ready for the party tonight?" Julie was beaming as usual. At first Lara had wondered if it was all just an act, but after getting to know her she had realized she was truly happy all the time.

"Of course! It's been all anybody's talked about for the past two weeks," Lara and the girls shuffled a few steps forward as the line inched closer to the register.

"I can't wait! Did you hear though? Someone told me that over 300 kids are going to be there," this time it was Kate who spoke.

"Now way, that's so many!"

"Yeah but if anyone could fit that many people it's Lance, his place is enormous," Evie piped in.

They chatted this way for a few more minutes as they worked their way up to the front of the line.

"What'll you girls have?" They had reached the register where a brown haired teen looked at them expectantly.

Jessie stepped forward and leaned in to order. Whenever a boy was around Jessie was the first to attack – to her, anyone was fair game.

The rest of the girls glanced at each other and giggled. Within minutes the boy would be head over heels but Jessie would already be on to her next victim.

Jessie was a pretty girl who looked older than the rest of them, she was tall and model thin. Pale blonde hair went a few inches past her shoulders and her blue-green eyes were expertly made up.

It was almost enough to distract Lara from the menu, but not quite. Everything had something to do with a certain man of steel.

"Come on Lara it's your turn," Evie promted.

"Ugh… I'll have the Red and Blue please," she managed.

"Sure thing."

She went through the next hour trying to push thoughts of her dad from her mind. Just having one person her age she could trust and share this secret with would be great, but it would never happen.

She spent the rest of the meal chatting about unimportant things and drinking her smoothie. Mason and a few of his guy friends joined them and they sat around talking until it was time to go to the party.

As they stood to leave Lara couldn't help but feel relieved that they would be leaving the restaurant. Sometimes she was afraid she would slip – say something that would raise questions.

She checked her phone as they went to leave, it was just after eight, she still had plenty of time before her ten o'clock curfew. Besides, she told her parents that she'd be out with friends, they couldn't begrudge her that, not when she wouldn't see them all summer.

"You coming Lara?" Mason was looking at her questioningly and Lara shook off her unease. Her smile didn't reach her eyes, but she knew from experience it would look more natural as she put more distance between herself and the smoothie shop.


	10. Chapter 10

"Onii-san! Wait!" I turned just in time to catch my sister before she toppled into me from behind. "Sorry," she panted. "You left your lunch so Okaa-san said I could bring it to you if I hurried."

Smiling at her flushed cheeks and tousled hair I took the box from her hands. "Thanks imouto." I gave her a considering look. "Would you like to go to the bookstore with me after school? I think you deserve a book or two for helping me out."

"Really?!" Her wide green eyes lit up.

"Really," I assured her. "Now run home and get ready for school before Okaa-san starts to worry." She gulped and called a hasty goodbye before taking off – our mother wasn't one to mess with.

I watched her retreating back for a moment before making my way towards the Academy's front entrance, ignoring the stares of the first-year students and their parents. I wove through the slight crowd and up the steps at a steady pace. I was just reaching for the door handle when an arm was thrown over my shoulders. Not missing a beat I let out a resigned sigh and opened the door wider than I'd originally planned.

"Aw. You're no fun – you were supposed to shriek like a girl!" I gave Eri a flat look. She pouted and dragged me farther down the hallway. "Would it kill you to indulge my fantasies every once in a while?"

"Yes," I said with the utmost seriousness. "What little reputation and social standing I have obtained would die a painful death were I to ever give in to your ridiculous demands."

"Ugh, never mind. Let's just go find the class assignments." With that she took my wrist in a vice-like grip and hurried to the announcement board. I followed meekly, knowing it would be a waste of energy to try to escape her hold.

Luckily, we'd both arrived ten minutes before the recommended arrival time. This meant there were only a few other students between us and our assignments. I waited patiently as Eri rocked on her heels and tried to see over the heads in front of us.

Soon enough we were at the head of the line. I started skimming through names on the left while Eri took the right. It had only been about twelve seconds before Eri let out a strange noise and tackled me to the ground.

"What," I groaned. "Did I ever do to you?"

"Oh hush!" She hopped to her feet and offered me a hand. I took it and let her pull me upright. "I was celebrating. We're in the same class this year!"

I blinked in surprise. "Oh," I said. "That is good news."

Eri rolled her eyes. "Good news? This is _great _news! Now I don't have to go out of my way to find you all the time!"

"Yeah, great," I mumbled, suddenly much less enthused than I had been.

"Don't be like that," Eri complained. "You know you'd miss me if we were in different classes again this year."

We started walking to our assigned classroom so that the other students could see their class assignments. "I don't know why," I admitted. "I'm beginning to think I must be a masochist. I can't think of any other reason why I'd choose to be best friends with you."

Eri whacked me in the shoulder playfully. "That's enough of that. You better be careful, one of these days you might even hurt my feelings."

I scoffed. "Demons don't have feeli–_Ouch!_" I rubbed my shoulder. "Do you have to hit so hard? I was joking!"

"Save it for later Ren. We're here." Eri opened the door to the classroom and ushered me towards the far side of the room. She took the seat closest to the window and I sat next to her, leaving an open spot to my right.

There were only four other students in the classroom with us and they'd already taken their seats. I asked Eri if she wanted to go over and meet them but she shook her head, saying we'd all be introduced later anyway.

One by one our classmates trickled in, some I knew, some I didn't, but by the time 8 o'clock rolled around all the seats were filled. It was also at that point that our teacher finally entered.

She was tall for a woman and had broad shoulders and a trim waist. Absently, I wondered if she was a kenjutsu user. She dropped a large stack of books on her desk and spun around to face us with her hands behind her back and her feet shoulder-width apart.

"Good morning class. Welcome to your fourth and final year at the Academy." Eri and I shared looks; for us, this was technically our third year. "If you can maintain a passing grade over the course of this year you'll be permitted to take the final exam in the spring. If you pass that, you'll become official shinobi of Konoha."

A bit of whispering broke out at that. Even Eri and I were excited about this year. This was the year we'd finally learn jutsu, the year we'd up our training; it was the last time we'd be looked at as children – if we passed that is.

Our teacher waited for the whispers to die down before speaking. "If you're really serious about serving Konoha, you'll prove yourself worthy of wearing one of these." She gestured to the hitai-ate around her waist. "With that in mind, we'll jump right into the coursework. Any questions?"

A boy in the front row raised his hand. The woman at the front motioned for him to speak. "What should we call you? You never gave your name."

She hummed. "I suppose I didn't. For those of you who don't know, I'm Sasaki Rina. You'll address me as Rina-Sensei. Any other questions?" Most of the students shook their heads. "Good. Let's get started then."

The first lesson was a review on chakra manipulation. I paid close attention, seeing as it was one of the classes I had no experience with in my past life. This was actually the main reason why I considered history, writing, and chakra manipulation my favorite subjects and worked hard to succeed in those classes. I'd never had them before, so when I did well in the subjects I could say honestly it was due to my own effort, rather than any prior knowledge.

Even with the memories themselves all but faded, some information was not so easily forgotten. Things like basic arithmetic and science facts were useful in day to day life. I thought of them often enough that there was never any risk of losing the knowledge.

Other things, like the history of my old world and the names of friends had been lost to me years ago – pushed out to make room for the things I needed in my new life.

I glanced towards Eri. When I'd first met her, she'd reminded me of my former best friend – the one I'd left behind. In light of this, I'd promised myself I would keep my distance. Fortunately, life doesn't always go according to plan and we'd struck up a close friendship the summer after first year.

Instead of constantly seeing her as a replacement or substitute, I gradually saw Eri as a great friend in her own right. Now, two and a half years later, the memories of my first best friend are fainter. It's a little sad, but it's made living in the present easier.

Sighing, I shook myself from my melancholy thoughts and returned my full attention to our teacher. I took meticulous notes as the lesson continued, disregarding Eri's scoff when she caught a glimpse of the cramped writing in my notebook.

"As you know, usable chakra consists of a mixture of our physical and spiritual energies.


End file.
